Conventional technologies do not provide adequate intonation control for the vibrating strings of a stringed instrument, causing compromised tuning throughout the fingerboard, e.g, tempered tuning. Traditionally, strings are attached to a support at the top of the neck—defined as “head” or “headstock”—of the instrument from which strings travel down the neck to a top fret, conventionally defined as a “nut” where the fret has individual cut slots (grooves) within fret. This fret is an immovable support that provides friction capture of the string as the string travels down the neck of the instrument to a bridge and pickup system. These conventional technologies are easy to manufacture, but provide no variability for the musician.
Conventional technologies at the head of the instrument are further deficient in that these technologies do not provide for adequate adjustability of string position relative to the fingerboard, or adjacent strings, as well as lateral, tangential or longitudinal string tension on the instrument. Conventional technologies provide a single fixed point, i.e. “nut” which requires irreparable physical alteration by a skilled technician with specialized tools in order to make string spacing, gauge or height changes. Such limited adjustability does not provide for intonation control and adjustability. Intonation is defined as a realization of pitch accuracy by the musician, whereby such accuracy is dependent upon ultimate string position, tension and the ability of the musician to accurately play the instrument at a desired position. In conventional technologies, the dimensions of the cut slot determines friction capabilities of the “nut” in holding the string to the instrument. These “nut” designs are made of premolded plastic, metal, or bone components that wear through friction over time. Thus, the wearing of the nut causes the instrument to lose intonation as well as altered string position relative to the fingerboard or adjacent strings. Temperature and humidity are important additional variables affecting intonation of an instrument. Conventional instruments remain highly dependent upon these variables due to the fixed point friction design. As a variable changes, the tune and intonation of the instrument changes, requiring the musician to frequently retune the instrument or have it repaired.
There is a need to provide an intonation control mechanism that allows strings to be independently adjusted for string position relative to the fingerboard, and adjacent strings, as well as lateral, tangential or longitudinal string tension on the instrument and ultimately instrument intonation without requiring disassembly, relocation or irreparable physical modification of the mounting structure to the stringed instrument.
There is a further need to provide a mechanism that will allow for pitch control of a vibrating string in a stringed instrument and to couple the vibration of the string to the soundboard as well as to the neck.
There is a further need to provide an instrument that has a mechanism that minimizes the amount of time an individual will spend tuning the instrument.